Alleged mastermind among four arrested after Pakistan mosque suicide bombing
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Pakistani security forces arrested four suspects after the suicide bombing (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Pakistani security forces arrested four suspects, including the alleged mastermind, following a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque near Islamabad that killed 31 people and wounded 169.
The regional affiliate of the Isis group, Isis in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the Friday attack, stating the bomber first opened fire before detonating an explosive vest inside the mosque.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged the mastermind was an Afghan linked to Isis, and that the attack was planned and trained in Afghanistan with financial backing from India, though no immediate evidence was provided.
The bombing was the deadliest in Islamabad since 2008, and Pakistan's Defence Minister linked it to militants operating from Afghanistan, a claim rejected by Afghanistan's Taliban government.
The attack drew widespread international condemnation, with China, the US, Russia, and the EU expressing sympathy and support for Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts.
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